There is a near perfect antidote to stress, a medicine that both dissipates the angst and increases our capacity to carry on.
When we’re in a state of stress we have cortisol and adrenaline coursing through our veins, it’s hard to focus, we’re ungrounded and not acting as the best versions of ourselves. We lose our charisma, we have trouble sleeping at night, eventually our hormones go out of whack and we are no longer the centred happy versions of ourselves that we wish we were.
So often we wear stress like a badge of honour proclaiming how busy we are and that we don’t have time for proper self-care. We think we have to give up on our aspirations and dreams or the thoughts and circumstances that are causing us stress in order to have “free time” to take care of ourselves. This idea is not only false but is also not serving us.
By incorporating exercise into our daily routines we achieve so many things we wish we had:
⁃ More time
⁃ More energy
⁃ Better sleep
⁃ A clearer, more open mind
⁃ Better relationships
⁃ Less stress
⁃ More joy
So rather than waiting to see if some health issue like an illness or a heart attack will one day knock us down, let’s make exercise not only a priority but a necessity in our lives. Schedule it, commit to it, let it change your life.
⁃ RUN: Slowly turn your walks into runs, pound that pavement with all the stress you’re holding
⁃ BIKE: Dust off that stationary or road bike, crank up the tunes and sweat it out
⁃ SOCCER: Join that rec soccer league and be fuelled by the team spirit
⁃ SQUASH: Inspire a friend, get that social time you’re craving, and head to the squash courts for a match
⁃ SKI: Pick up your skis and head out for some nourishing mountain air
⁃ DANCE: Pump up the tunes and have a dance party, get lost in it
⁃ SWIM: If your body is too achy to do most things, let the water soothe your pains while still getting that heart rate up
⁃ GYM: head to the gym and lift some weights, let strength be your companion
Just get moving. Your body and mind will thank you.
